I'm writing. What? I know, weird. I've been editing for so long that I almost forgot that I actually do write new stuff. And more than that, I LOVE to write new stuff. The Inner Editor was making it hard for a while, but it seems my brain has officially switched back to creative mode.
I have this problem where I get flooded with ideas if I'm not writing. And this time the flood consisted of four intriguing stories—French steampunk, an angel of death, a post-apoc, and pirates. Yes, pirates. I'm a ninja girl, but I have no prejudice towards pirates.
I struggled picking what to work on, because Inner Editor was all like, "All these ideas SUCK. You suck. Don't you remember how horrible your first drafts are?" So I'd write a little on one, and then decide it wasn't worth pursuing. Then I'd try and start another, and do the same thing.
It wasn't productive.
So I put them all away for a little bit and tried to get that voice out of my head. You know the one I'm talking about—that wicked one that says you're a really bad writer. I knew I needed to pick ONE project. Despite my reputation for quick writing, I still can't write more than one book at a time. I need my full focus to get into the MC's head and world.
Problem was I didn't know which one to write. I liked them all well enough...and at times thought they were all stupid and played. That's the thing with ideas—if you think about them hard enough they ALL sound stupid. Trust me. I have a lot of ideas...many of them ridiculous.
So how do you pick?
Some people might say pick the most commercial idea. Or maybe the one that's "hot" right now. But that doesn't really work because by the time you finish writing and editing, that trend will most likely be over.
Some might say pick the most original, which is a little better. But original is no guarantee. It could be too original. Believe me, there is such a thing. You need an audience more than you need complete originality.
Then others will say to pick the one you love the most. Duh, right? I know we've heard it a thousand times, but it's still true. You could be stuck with this idea for a very long time—years and years of your life. You better love it, because it's a long road and you won't make it if you're lukewarm.
But more than that, I've learned that as much as we want to think it's the Big Idea that gets us there. It's really the execution of a Good Idea. Ideas are these malleable things that stretch and change when we want them to, and great writing is what makes that Idea shine. You are allowed to love a little idea, because you the writer can make it something beautiful. It's when we doubt our capabilities that we hope a stellar idea will make up for it.
When I came back to my ideas, it was clear which one I loved the most, which characters I wanted to spend my time with. I've learned that I can make it great even if it takes a lot of work, and I'm having a blast writing it.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
When Appearance Matters
I read a post Patti did about character appearance that really got me thinking. She said that she had a hard time visualizing her characters, and then posed the question: Does appearance matter?
It seems the general consensus around blogland is that appearance comes in a distant third to the character's personality and actions. That's what the reader connects with, and so that's what we should focus on when we're fleshing out characters. It doesn't matter if your character happens to be blonde or short or brown-eyed.
I agree with this—mostly. A year ago I might have completely agreed, but then I wrote Fiona.
Fiona is invisible. And not just when she feels like it, but all the time. Writing her, I realized how grounded a person is by their appearance. When you don't have a face, a figure, you and everyone else has no idea where you stand...how you compare. Sure, Fiona doesn't have to worry about being ugly, but she will also never know if she's pretty. That idea drives her crazy. Because she knows if she were pretty people would notice her and if not they'd ignore her. She's ultra aware of how other people act based on appearance.
All this got me thinking about my other characters, and how their appearances shape a portion of their personality. Coral hates that she's beautiful, since that's all people see when they look at her. But Danie's beauty gives her a subtle arrogance despite her anxiety issues. Tosh is, and might always be, insecure about being short.
Then I started thinking about my own appearance complexes. Being, uh, curvy at a young age made me very insecure. I was sad when most of my freckles disappeared, and cherish the ones I still have. My teeth came in straight, so I was never afraid to smile. I knew I was just pretty enough not to get teased, but not pretty enough to get a boyfriend. I won't get into all the flaws I see in myself that no one else can see. All of this has affected the way I act whether I like it or not.
Now I think appearance might be more important than we writers sometimes think. It can be a great way to dive deeper into a character's psyche. Because it's not just about how they look—but how they feel about it. Every person on the planet feels something about how they look, even if it's not caring at all. And it most definitely affects their actions even if they aren't aware of it. Does your MC overdo eye makeup because she thinks that's her only beautiful feature? Or does he always look at the floor because he's embarrassed about his giant nose? Do they never wear yellow because someone once told them it looked horrible with their skin tone?
It's something to think about. Even if you don't put the reasons in your novel, I think a writer should know those things about their character. It brings a certain amount of authenticity to what we write.
It seems the general consensus around blogland is that appearance comes in a distant third to the character's personality and actions. That's what the reader connects with, and so that's what we should focus on when we're fleshing out characters. It doesn't matter if your character happens to be blonde or short or brown-eyed.
I agree with this—mostly. A year ago I might have completely agreed, but then I wrote Fiona.
Fiona is invisible. And not just when she feels like it, but all the time. Writing her, I realized how grounded a person is by their appearance. When you don't have a face, a figure, you and everyone else has no idea where you stand...how you compare. Sure, Fiona doesn't have to worry about being ugly, but she will also never know if she's pretty. That idea drives her crazy. Because she knows if she were pretty people would notice her and if not they'd ignore her. She's ultra aware of how other people act based on appearance.
All this got me thinking about my other characters, and how their appearances shape a portion of their personality. Coral hates that she's beautiful, since that's all people see when they look at her. But Danie's beauty gives her a subtle arrogance despite her anxiety issues. Tosh is, and might always be, insecure about being short.
Then I started thinking about my own appearance complexes. Being, uh, curvy at a young age made me very insecure. I was sad when most of my freckles disappeared, and cherish the ones I still have. My teeth came in straight, so I was never afraid to smile. I knew I was just pretty enough not to get teased, but not pretty enough to get a boyfriend. I won't get into all the flaws I see in myself that no one else can see. All of this has affected the way I act whether I like it or not.
Now I think appearance might be more important than we writers sometimes think. It can be a great way to dive deeper into a character's psyche. Because it's not just about how they look—but how they feel about it. Every person on the planet feels something about how they look, even if it's not caring at all. And it most definitely affects their actions even if they aren't aware of it. Does your MC overdo eye makeup because she thinks that's her only beautiful feature? Or does he always look at the floor because he's embarrassed about his giant nose? Do they never wear yellow because someone once told them it looked horrible with their skin tone?
It's something to think about. Even if you don't put the reasons in your novel, I think a writer should know those things about their character. It brings a certain amount of authenticity to what we write.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Street Cred: Why Publishers Won't Die
I'm no publishing expert, but I have learned a lot these past couple years. And I'm sure I will continue to learn more as I, hopefully, get into the industry.
But there's one thing that I just don't understand—it's the Publishers Are Doomed articles. You've seen them: publishers are going to DIE because of insert-some-catastrophic-thing-here. Maybe I don't know enough, but I think that is totally ridiculous.
There will always be publishers. Sure, their roles, sizes, finances, etc. might change, but they will exist in some shape as long as there is written word to send out into the world.
It all comes down to one thing: Street Cred.
If you're a writer, then I'm sure this conversation looks familiar:
Random Person: So what do you do?
You: I'm a writer.
Random Person: Oh, cool...
(You cringe, knowing exactly what question is going to come next, dreading the inevitable confusion and feeble attempts at explanation.)
Random Person: Are you published?
If you are, the answer is easy. The Random Person enthusiastically says how cool that is and that they're going to go buy your book. Whether they actually buy...well, who knows. But that one single fact—that someone published you—means to Random Person that you have Street Cred.
But if you aren't published, the conversation goes a little like this:
You: Oh, um, no. It's a really hard business to break into, but I do have an agent interested in my manuscript.
(Random Person stares blankly. You can tell they don't give a rat's...You're not published, that means no one has said you're any good, so why should they think you are anything more than the equivalent of a shoddy curbside performer?)
Random Person: Agent?
You: Yeah, if they like my book they'll represent me.
Random Person: Oh, and then you'll get published.
You: Uh, no. Agents try to sell books to publishers, so you have to get one of those first...
(Random Person glazes over as you try to explain. You are positive that all they are thinking is, "Sheesh, so this person says they're a writer, but they obviously aren't even close to getting published.")
Random Person: Well, good luck with that then.
(You remind yourself to keep your mouth shut about writing until you've actually sold a book.)
Let's face it, normal people don't care at all that you write until you have that shiny article or short or novel to prove it. (This is excluding family.) Humans are a crowd-following, clique-making, exclusive kind of animal. And for the most part, the Random Person on the street isn't going to think you're cool unless someone else says you're cool.
That someone else is a publisher. I'm sure some of you out there are thinking, "But what about critics and friends? They sway Random Person opinion too." Yes, but critics can't read every book out there. Picking published books to review ensures quality on some level. They trust, just like Random Person, that a publisher choosing to spend money on your book means it meets a certain standard. The same goes with friends. It's like when your older brother is quarterback, and so you're "in" with the cool crowd because he vouches for you.
Now, self-publishing...this is so tough for me to say, but I think we'd all be lying if we denied that there's a certain stigma on it. I'm not saying that your book is horrible if you choose to self-publish, but you have to accept that a lot of people might think that way. You, personally, have to prove them wrong. It's like breaking into the "cool crowd" by setting the school record for pounds of coleslaw eaten. Very few will make it, and those who do had to eat coleslaw to do it. Yuck. And if you do manage to eat all that coleslaw—that just gets you IN to the cool crowd. Take Paolini (Eragon, etc.). Yes, he saw decent success self-publishing, but it wasn't until a major publisher picked him up that he got HUGE.
The Street Cred principle works in every artistic industry. It's like a resumé. Okay, it IS a resumé. It sucks that people care about if you're with a record label, how many paintings you've sold, what roles you've acted, or if your book has been published. But there are a lot of artists out there trying to "make it," and if American Idol has taught us anything it's that many artists have bigger dreams than their talents. It might be horrible to say, but we want filters. We only want to hear the best, watch the best, read the best. We as consumers don't have time to sift through it all and decide for ourselves.
So we trust publishers to do it for us. And as long as they deliver quality material (and by quality I mean stuff people want to read), they will exist. I'm not going to guess what their business models will look like in the future, but I am sure that they will have figured something out. Because we as humans will always care about Street Cred.
But there's one thing that I just don't understand—it's the Publishers Are Doomed articles. You've seen them: publishers are going to DIE because of insert-some-catastrophic-thing-here. Maybe I don't know enough, but I think that is totally ridiculous.
There will always be publishers. Sure, their roles, sizes, finances, etc. might change, but they will exist in some shape as long as there is written word to send out into the world.
It all comes down to one thing: Street Cred.
If you're a writer, then I'm sure this conversation looks familiar:
Random Person: So what do you do?
You: I'm a writer.
Random Person: Oh, cool...
(You cringe, knowing exactly what question is going to come next, dreading the inevitable confusion and feeble attempts at explanation.)
Random Person: Are you published?
If you are, the answer is easy. The Random Person enthusiastically says how cool that is and that they're going to go buy your book. Whether they actually buy...well, who knows. But that one single fact—that someone published you—means to Random Person that you have Street Cred.
But if you aren't published, the conversation goes a little like this:
You: Oh, um, no. It's a really hard business to break into, but I do have an agent interested in my manuscript.
(Random Person stares blankly. You can tell they don't give a rat's...You're not published, that means no one has said you're any good, so why should they think you are anything more than the equivalent of a shoddy curbside performer?)
Random Person: Agent?
You: Yeah, if they like my book they'll represent me.
Random Person: Oh, and then you'll get published.
You: Uh, no. Agents try to sell books to publishers, so you have to get one of those first...
(Random Person glazes over as you try to explain. You are positive that all they are thinking is, "Sheesh, so this person says they're a writer, but they obviously aren't even close to getting published.")
Random Person: Well, good luck with that then.
(You remind yourself to keep your mouth shut about writing until you've actually sold a book.)
Let's face it, normal people don't care at all that you write until you have that shiny article or short or novel to prove it. (This is excluding family.) Humans are a crowd-following, clique-making, exclusive kind of animal. And for the most part, the Random Person on the street isn't going to think you're cool unless someone else says you're cool.
That someone else is a publisher. I'm sure some of you out there are thinking, "But what about critics and friends? They sway Random Person opinion too." Yes, but critics can't read every book out there. Picking published books to review ensures quality on some level. They trust, just like Random Person, that a publisher choosing to spend money on your book means it meets a certain standard. The same goes with friends. It's like when your older brother is quarterback, and so you're "in" with the cool crowd because he vouches for you.
Now, self-publishing...this is so tough for me to say, but I think we'd all be lying if we denied that there's a certain stigma on it. I'm not saying that your book is horrible if you choose to self-publish, but you have to accept that a lot of people might think that way. You, personally, have to prove them wrong. It's like breaking into the "cool crowd" by setting the school record for pounds of coleslaw eaten. Very few will make it, and those who do had to eat coleslaw to do it. Yuck. And if you do manage to eat all that coleslaw—that just gets you IN to the cool crowd. Take Paolini (Eragon, etc.). Yes, he saw decent success self-publishing, but it wasn't until a major publisher picked him up that he got HUGE.
The Street Cred principle works in every artistic industry. It's like a resumé. Okay, it IS a resumé. It sucks that people care about if you're with a record label, how many paintings you've sold, what roles you've acted, or if your book has been published. But there are a lot of artists out there trying to "make it," and if American Idol has taught us anything it's that many artists have bigger dreams than their talents. It might be horrible to say, but we want filters. We only want to hear the best, watch the best, read the best. We as consumers don't have time to sift through it all and decide for ourselves.
So we trust publishers to do it for us. And as long as they deliver quality material (and by quality I mean stuff people want to read), they will exist. I'm not going to guess what their business models will look like in the future, but I am sure that they will have figured something out. Because we as humans will always care about Street Cred.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Saturday Sketch: Double Feature
Two sketches today!!! Are you so excited?
First up, Martin Perry from Relax, I'm a Ninja:
This is the first time I've drawn Marty, and he turned out to be much more "sneaky" looking than I thought. He's a skater who could be a movie star if he wanted. The amount of cheesiness he can get away with is incredible, but it so works for him. Oh, and he's a ninja. I love him.
And second, Coral Starfall from Void:
I did this all in photoshop save the lines. It was fun practice. Uh, have you noticed I draw her a lot? She was mad that I kept putting her in those dang fancy dresses she hates so much, so I put her in the clothes she wears when she's building/inventing things.
Character GUSH Week taught me something very important about Coral and her story—I love it. That might sound weird, but I've always had a strange relationship with Void. I mean, I come back to the book every month or so and do an edit, but at the same time I constantly worry that it's "not good enough." There are a lot of excuses I use to berate this book of mine—wizards have been done, people will think HP, it's not special enough, it's too "cute," blah blah blah—you name it and I've thought it.
But then as I was thinking of characters to write about this week, Void's characters kept coming back over and over again. I didn't use all of them because I wanted to give a variety, but I realized why I love this book so much. The characters are spectacular and different. The story, I think, is pretty fantastic and even a little off beat for what people might expect of the genre.
I didn't think anyone would like the ninjas either—and I was obviously completely wrong there. So I'm going to be gutsy and just say that I LOVE Void and I think other people will too. I still think it needs some work, but we all know I'm not afraid of a little work. Coral deserves as much.
First up, Martin Perry from Relax, I'm a Ninja:
This is the first time I've drawn Marty, and he turned out to be much more "sneaky" looking than I thought. He's a skater who could be a movie star if he wanted. The amount of cheesiness he can get away with is incredible, but it so works for him. Oh, and he's a ninja. I love him.
And second, Coral Starfall from Void:
I did this all in photoshop save the lines. It was fun practice. Uh, have you noticed I draw her a lot? She was mad that I kept putting her in those dang fancy dresses she hates so much, so I put her in the clothes she wears when she's building/inventing things.
Character GUSH Week taught me something very important about Coral and her story—I love it. That might sound weird, but I've always had a strange relationship with Void. I mean, I come back to the book every month or so and do an edit, but at the same time I constantly worry that it's "not good enough." There are a lot of excuses I use to berate this book of mine—wizards have been done, people will think HP, it's not special enough, it's too "cute," blah blah blah—you name it and I've thought it.
But then as I was thinking of characters to write about this week, Void's characters kept coming back over and over again. I didn't use all of them because I wanted to give a variety, but I realized why I love this book so much. The characters are spectacular and different. The story, I think, is pretty fantastic and even a little off beat for what people might expect of the genre.
I didn't think anyone would like the ninjas either—and I was obviously completely wrong there. So I'm going to be gutsy and just say that I LOVE Void and I think other people will too. I still think it needs some work, but we all know I'm not afraid of a little work. Coral deserves as much.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Favorite Love Interests
Before we get started, please check out Kiersten's PSA on ectopic pregnancy. I can't tell you how scared I was last year when she disappeared from online for several days and I didn't know why. She is one of my very best friends and the thought of almost having lost her...let's just say I'm grateful she knew her stuff and got to the hospital. SO glad you're alive, Kierst!
Now, on to the final day of Character GUSH Week.
I saved the best for last—Love Interests. Swoon. It has been so fun to learn a little more about your WIPs and characters this week; thank you so much for sharing. After all this love, I think I'm going to have to write a good rant or something. But for now, I'm going to talk about a few of my absolute favorite Love Interests in my work. Excuse me if I get all glossy-eyed.
Troy Sullivan from Hammered: Oh dear me, Troy is just so adorable it hurts. You'd think the blue eyes, curly brown hair, and muscled build would be enough, but he's also in the Navy (yes, he looks gorgeous in his dress blues). He has a metal arm. Oh, and did I mention he's a cyborg? Troy is the boy who never gives up. And once he decides he wants something (or someone), he doesn't stop until he gets it. He's lighthearted, easy going, and reckless.
Luke Abbot from Void: Luke, dude, I love him. He's such a boy—not your knight and not your brooding bad guy either. He has a lot of good intentions that come across wrong, thus he often confuses the crap out of Coral. He's got olive skin, light brown hair, and peridot green eyes. He speaks Spanish (since he's part Latino), plays quarterback, gets perfect grades, and wants to build his own car from scratch one day when he has the cash.
Okay, and I have to do one girl to even this out:
Lizelle Cartier from the unnamed WIP I affectionately call Spork: To my MC Gil, there is no girl prettier, sweeter, or more perfect than Lizelle. She's a barber's daughter and has been cutting Gil's hair since she started her apprenticeship. He's been through a lot of bad haircuts just to stare into her teal eyes. She is graceful, so much so that even the aristocrats take notice. But what Gil doesn't know is that Lizelle is adventurous, daring even, and she's not afraid to get her hands dirty if she has to.
Sigh, that was fun. I feel like I just finished watching a chick flick or something.
Now, on to the final day of Character GUSH Week.
I saved the best for last—Love Interests. Swoon. It has been so fun to learn a little more about your WIPs and characters this week; thank you so much for sharing. After all this love, I think I'm going to have to write a good rant or something. But for now, I'm going to talk about a few of my absolute favorite Love Interests in my work. Excuse me if I get all glossy-eyed.
Troy Sullivan from Hammered: Oh dear me, Troy is just so adorable it hurts. You'd think the blue eyes, curly brown hair, and muscled build would be enough, but he's also in the Navy (yes, he looks gorgeous in his dress blues). He has a metal arm. Oh, and did I mention he's a cyborg? Troy is the boy who never gives up. And once he decides he wants something (or someone), he doesn't stop until he gets it. He's lighthearted, easy going, and reckless.
Luke Abbot from Void: Luke, dude, I love him. He's such a boy—not your knight and not your brooding bad guy either. He has a lot of good intentions that come across wrong, thus he often confuses the crap out of Coral. He's got olive skin, light brown hair, and peridot green eyes. He speaks Spanish (since he's part Latino), plays quarterback, gets perfect grades, and wants to build his own car from scratch one day when he has the cash.
Okay, and I have to do one girl to even this out:
Lizelle Cartier from the unnamed WIP I affectionately call Spork: To my MC Gil, there is no girl prettier, sweeter, or more perfect than Lizelle. She's a barber's daughter and has been cutting Gil's hair since she started her apprenticeship. He's been through a lot of bad haircuts just to stare into her teal eyes. She is graceful, so much so that even the aristocrats take notice. But what Gil doesn't know is that Lizelle is adventurous, daring even, and she's not afraid to get her hands dirty if she has to.
Sigh, that was fun. I feel like I just finished watching a chick flick or something.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Favorite Minor Characters
Villain Day rocked! I am so enjoying Character GUSH Week, it's been nice to spend a few moments with other people's characters. I have seen quite a lot of my own lately, and we're at that "I know I still love you, but right now I just don't like you" stage. They're mad at me because I keep pecking at them. I'm mad at them because they won't tell me how I can make it better. Don't worry, I've called a guidance counselor.
Thanks to those of you who could share a bit about your baddies. I know a lot of the times villains are big time secrets, so don't feel bad if you couldn't share. I don't want your stories ruined either. Heck, there were several of my own that I couldn't share.
Today is Minor Character Day! You'd think that wouldn't be as exciting, but I LOVE my minor characters just as much as the bigger players. I always take the time to flesh them out in my head, even if they don't have much page time.
A short list of my favorites:
Mr. Norton from Transparent: Fiona's math teacher, who really does want the best for her though she hates him. (Also, he's albino.)
Conrad Sullivan from Hammered: Troy's (the love interest and overall comic relief) 10-year-old brother who is a genius planning on going into cybernetic research and programming.
Bill and Mabel Laslow from Void: They're Coral's landlords and become her guardians. I loved them so much I overwrote them and then, uh, chopped 90% of their scenes. Bill is a die-hard Niner's fan and Mabel cooks like Julia Childs.
Maggie Reynolds, Eva Gonzalez, and Sarah Parkins from Relax, I'm a Ninja: Amy's nerdy best friends—the friends I always wanted to have in high school. They are silly, but then totally brilliant too. I also gave them way too much page time in the first draft, sigh.
Okay, back to work for me now. Feel free to list as many of your minors as you want.
Thanks to those of you who could share a bit about your baddies. I know a lot of the times villains are big time secrets, so don't feel bad if you couldn't share. I don't want your stories ruined either. Heck, there were several of my own that I couldn't share.
Today is Minor Character Day! You'd think that wouldn't be as exciting, but I LOVE my minor characters just as much as the bigger players. I always take the time to flesh them out in my head, even if they don't have much page time.
A short list of my favorites:
Mr. Norton from Transparent: Fiona's math teacher, who really does want the best for her though she hates him. (Also, he's albino.)
Conrad Sullivan from Hammered: Troy's (the love interest and overall comic relief) 10-year-old brother who is a genius planning on going into cybernetic research and programming.
Bill and Mabel Laslow from Void: They're Coral's landlords and become her guardians. I loved them so much I overwrote them and then, uh, chopped 90% of their scenes. Bill is a die-hard Niner's fan and Mabel cooks like Julia Childs.
Maggie Reynolds, Eva Gonzalez, and Sarah Parkins from Relax, I'm a Ninja: Amy's nerdy best friends—the friends I always wanted to have in high school. They are silly, but then totally brilliant too. I also gave them way too much page time in the first draft, sigh.
Okay, back to work for me now. Feel free to list as many of your minors as you want.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Favorite Villains
You all have such fun supporting characters! Thanks for sharing them with me. Sorry I couldn't comment as much yesterday—I keep being busy—but I did read and smile at every single one. Best friends, crazy siblings, mysterious people, and more! Secondary characters add so much color to our books.
And now on to one of my favorites: The Villains. Can't have a book without a villain, right? And they are about as complex and interesting as our MC—at least I think they should be.
I think I will always have a soft spot for my villain Charles Twinfire in Void. He's in love with Coral—and he's positive he is doing what's best for her at all times. He's so twisted, but he has no idea that he is. He sees himself as the knight in shining armor, and his descent into creepiness is one of my most favorite parts of that book. It also doesn't hurt that he happens to be hawt—here's a reminder if you forgot.
My second favorite has to be Keld from Sealed. He is a shape-shifting Dark Elf hunter with a vendetta against the Light Elf Ren, Adrie's love interest. He must kill Ren to avenge his sister's death, but elves are immortal until they fall in love. Finally it looks like he might get his chance, as long as he can keep his own budding feelings for Adrie at bay. I love him, and if you've read Sealed I'm pretty sure you love him too. He's deliciously conflicted. Oh, and hawt. (Sensing a theme?)
Can't wait to hear about your baddies!
And now on to one of my favorites: The Villains. Can't have a book without a villain, right? And they are about as complex and interesting as our MC—at least I think they should be.
I think I will always have a soft spot for my villain Charles Twinfire in Void. He's in love with Coral—and he's positive he is doing what's best for her at all times. He's so twisted, but he has no idea that he is. He sees himself as the knight in shining armor, and his descent into creepiness is one of my most favorite parts of that book. It also doesn't hurt that he happens to be hawt—here's a reminder if you forgot.
My second favorite has to be Keld from Sealed. He is a shape-shifting Dark Elf hunter with a vendetta against the Light Elf Ren, Adrie's love interest. He must kill Ren to avenge his sister's death, but elves are immortal until they fall in love. Finally it looks like he might get his chance, as long as he can keep his own budding feelings for Adrie at bay. I love him, and if you've read Sealed I'm pretty sure you love him too. He's deliciously conflicted. Oh, and hawt. (Sensing a theme?)
Can't wait to hear about your baddies!
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Favorite Supporting Characters
I so enjoyed reading about your favorite main characters yesterday! They all sounded so fun and different. Character GUSH Week has gotten off to a great start.
Today we're doing supporting characters, and you're allowed three max. So you can think ahead, we'll also be doing villains, minor characters, and love interests. I'm excited to meet your other imaginary friends.
My three:
1. One of my all time favorite supporting characters is Stacia Starfall from Void. She is the 14-year-old sister of my MC Coral. She is also a gifted Mentalist. She wants nothing more than a boyfriend of her very own, but most boys don't like having their minds read. While she can be very childish, she also knows far more than she should about how the world really works.
2. My second would have to be "Sam"antha Farnsworth from Sealed. She is Adrie's best friend and companion in "bad girl" status, and she has very good reason to play the stereotypical Preacher's Daughter. Her hair color changes constantly; she smokes during lunch break; and she swears more than any character I've written. But she also tells Adrie how it is—they are there for each other when no one else is.
3. My third choice is really two, but they go together. They are Ken and Yumi Ito—Tosh's parents in Relax, I'm a Ninja. (Yes, I have real live, active parents in a YA novel, no gasping.) They are awesome. Ken is a stoic dojo sensei who happens to lead a small clan of ninjas in his spare time. And Yumi is an ex-Japanese-game show competitor who won so many times they wouldn't let her enter anymore. Yeah, they bought the dojo with her prize money.
Man, that was hard to pick just three. I have a lot of secondary characters. Now it's your turn! Who are you bringing to the Gush Fest today?
Today we're doing supporting characters, and you're allowed three max. So you can think ahead, we'll also be doing villains, minor characters, and love interests. I'm excited to meet your other imaginary friends.
My three:
1. One of my all time favorite supporting characters is Stacia Starfall from Void. She is the 14-year-old sister of my MC Coral. She is also a gifted Mentalist. She wants nothing more than a boyfriend of her very own, but most boys don't like having their minds read. While she can be very childish, she also knows far more than she should about how the world really works.
2. My second would have to be "Sam"antha Farnsworth from Sealed. She is Adrie's best friend and companion in "bad girl" status, and she has very good reason to play the stereotypical Preacher's Daughter. Her hair color changes constantly; she smokes during lunch break; and she swears more than any character I've written. But she also tells Adrie how it is—they are there for each other when no one else is.
3. My third choice is really two, but they go together. They are Ken and Yumi Ito—Tosh's parents in Relax, I'm a Ninja. (Yes, I have real live, active parents in a YA novel, no gasping.) They are awesome. Ken is a stoic dojo sensei who happens to lead a small clan of ninjas in his spare time. And Yumi is an ex-Japanese-game show competitor who won so many times they wouldn't let her enter anymore. Yeah, they bought the dojo with her prize money.
Man, that was hard to pick just three. I have a lot of secondary characters. Now it's your turn! Who are you bringing to the Gush Fest today?
Monday, September 21, 2009
Character GUSH Week: Favorite Mains
If you're anything like me, you love the characters you write about. It sounds totally dorky, but sometimes they are almost like my best friends. I learn so much about myself through them. But I know for the most part people (you know, the non-writers) don't really want to hear me talk about imaginary people. I'm sure you know what I mean.
Well, this week is Character GUSH Week on my blog. I'm a bit busy with family and editing, so I want to know who your favorite Main Character is from your own writing. No—you have to pick just one. Tell me anything and everything you want. We have many more days to go, so you can gush about another character tomorrow.
I'm going to pick one of my mains that not many people know. Okay, only Nick and Kiersten have read all of Transparent, so very few people indeed.
Fiona McClean is one of my absolute favorite main characters. She's invisible—literally—and learning about how she copes with that has been one of the most rewarding writing experiences I've had so far. I love her story, and I look forward to revising it someday.
A little about Fiona:
• She has two older brothers, one who has always been mean to her and another who's constantly trying to protect her and can't.
•Her parents are recently divorced, but she doesn't care much because her dad isn't a nice person.
• She has one killer wardrobe, since that's all people can see.
• She gets along with most everyone she meets.
• She hates when people call her Fifi.
• Math is the bane of her existence, since the brain trauma she suffered at birth makes it nearly impossible for her to remember numbers.
• She has a mega-crush on Brady Mitchell, a super strong, red-headed, wonder of a boy. But his older brother, Seth, is constantly getting in the way of their flirting.
• She spends more time than she wants to admit trying to figure out what she looks like.
And finally,
•She cannot start the day without Pop-tarts—blueberry ones, ideally.
Well, this week is Character GUSH Week on my blog. I'm a bit busy with family and editing, so I want to know who your favorite Main Character is from your own writing. No—you have to pick just one. Tell me anything and everything you want. We have many more days to go, so you can gush about another character tomorrow.
I'm going to pick one of my mains that not many people know. Okay, only Nick and Kiersten have read all of Transparent, so very few people indeed.
Fiona McClean is one of my absolute favorite main characters. She's invisible—literally—and learning about how she copes with that has been one of the most rewarding writing experiences I've had so far. I love her story, and I look forward to revising it someday.
A little about Fiona:
• She has two older brothers, one who has always been mean to her and another who's constantly trying to protect her and can't.
•Her parents are recently divorced, but she doesn't care much because her dad isn't a nice person.
• She has one killer wardrobe, since that's all people can see.
• She gets along with most everyone she meets.
• She hates when people call her Fifi.
• Math is the bane of her existence, since the brain trauma she suffered at birth makes it nearly impossible for her to remember numbers.
• She has a mega-crush on Brady Mitchell, a super strong, red-headed, wonder of a boy. But his older brother, Seth, is constantly getting in the way of their flirting.
• She spends more time than she wants to admit trying to figure out what she looks like.
And finally,
•She cannot start the day without Pop-tarts—blueberry ones, ideally.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Vanity Moment
Photographers are really cool people. They can make an average girl look gorgeous—totally magic. I mean, my dear friend Michelle (aka Lady Glamis) made me look incredible. You saw what she was working with in the Self Humiliation post. Look what she did!
These pictures are so awesome, and I want to give her a big huge public THANK YOU FOR BEING FREAKING TALENTED shout out. No more sad webcam snapshot for me. I look totally legit now! (Hey, I almost am. I do have an agent, remember? Surely you do, I talk about it a lot.)
If you're in the market for some pictures of your very own (and you happen to live in Utah or want to come here), Michelle runs a small photography business and, obviously, knows a thing or two about turning sleep deprived mom into something that resembles a really cute girl. See her website for more samples and prices.
These pictures are so awesome, and I want to give her a big huge public THANK YOU FOR BEING FREAKING TALENTED shout out. No more sad webcam snapshot for me. I look totally legit now! (Hey, I almost am. I do have an agent, remember? Surely you do, I talk about it a lot.)
If you're in the market for some pictures of your very own (and you happen to live in Utah or want to come here), Michelle runs a small photography business and, obviously, knows a thing or two about turning sleep deprived mom into something that resembles a really cute girl. See her website for more samples and prices.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Saturday Sketch (Jessie's Prize)
This is a scene from Jessie's WIP, Untelling the Maya. I'm not sure how much she wants me to tell, so I'll leave it at that for now. I hope you like your prize, Jessie! And feel free to share more about your WIP in the comments:)
As for me, I need to get back to relaxing. I have a lot of work to do next week and my brain must be in tip top shape. Hope you all are having a lovely weekend.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Self Humiliation
Blogs are usually all about showing off how awesome you are, right? Well, today I'm going to turn things around a bit. Kiersten constantly complains that I'm too talented—she would like to see a few things I'm really bad at.
Okay, Kiersten, you got your wish times a finity (yes, I still quote Napoleon Dynamite, gosh...that should be humiliating thing #1...). Not only am I going to talk about things I'm bad at, but I'll be revealing some seriously mortifying information/pictures.
So, lest you think I'm too awesome:
1. I am terrible at sports. I don't even have proof because I've never been on any athletic team save one little summer of swim team—which I HATED. The only way I'd be good at basketball is if you got points for every time you missed the basket. Then I'd ROCK. Because of my left handedness, I can never figure out which hand feels "right" when I'm attempting a variety of sports: golf, tennis, volleyball, baseball, billiards, etc. It always feels "wrong," and people have a hard time teaching the gimp lefty to begin with.
2. I can't believe I'm about to admit this. It's one of my deepest, most shameful secrets. Usually I just tell people I've never been to a concert. I mean, that's pathetic, but not as pathetic as the truth.
I have been to ONE concert. It was for my 12th birthday, and my parents took me to see him:
That's right, people, I went to a Kenny G concert for my 12th birthday. And I was EXCITED. I totally loved his music back then, but quickly learned how embarrassing that was when all my friends made fun of him. So I never told anyone I'd been to a live concert. With my parents. I've kept this dark secret too long. Kenny, you rocked that concert.
3. I am an awful housekeeper. It's just not high on my priority list. And with two little tornadoes in the house it almost doesn't matter how often I clean. Because the second I do, they just mess it up for the 534th time. I offer you proof, just so you know I'm not kidding:
This is just a small part of the disaster called my living room.
Laundry is my arch nemesis, and it wins a lot.
4. I have this problem where I fall in love with clothes that look really bad on me. And then I get pictures taken in them and cringe. Why the heck did I wear that?
Exhibit A:
As you can see, my love of orange runs long and deep. But, well, it's not the most flattering color on me even now. Also note the choppy haircut, a result of my own styling. Lovely. I have more, but the humiliation is over flowing as it is.
5. I'm really bad at talking to people in person. Small talk has always eluded me, mostly because I am sure people will think I sound like an idiot if I bring up some cliché topic. Example:
Stranger: Hey, I'm Charlie, nice to meet you.
Me: Oh, uh, hi. (Oh crap, what am I supposed to say? It looks like he's planning to stand here and talk to me for a while. Stop breathing so hard! Oh my gosh...I think I've not said anything for five minutes...)
Charlie: So, what's your name?
Me: Um, Natalie. (Crap, what do I say now? Weather? No, that's lame. Ask what he does for work? No, that's like asking how much money he makes and totally rude. Politics? Ack, that's always bad. I have no knowledge of sports...crap, I still haven't said anything!)
Charlie: What do you do?
Me: I'm a writer. (Dangit! Why didn't I just ask what he did? He obviously wouldn't have been offended. Stupid, stupid, stupid.)
I've discovered that all my inner thoughts end up looking like I'm not interested in talking to people. That's very not true. I just panic. So if you ever meet me in person, please forgive the long, awkward pauses. I swear I'm working on it.
6. And finally, the coup de grace, me in my glasses with no makeup. I never wear my glasses in public, but they are cute frames. Yeah...that should put to bed all those rumors of me being hawt. Thank goodness Lady Glam is taking my pictures tomorrow. She'll make me look fabulous, because she's seriously talented.
Wow, I'm think that's enough humiliation for one day...maybe even the whole year. But I feel better. Heaven forbid anyone think I'm too awesome, because it's simply not true. I'm just an average girl who happens to work really hard at a few things.
Okay, Kiersten, you got your wish times a finity (yes, I still quote Napoleon Dynamite, gosh...that should be humiliating thing #1...). Not only am I going to talk about things I'm bad at, but I'll be revealing some seriously mortifying information/pictures.
So, lest you think I'm too awesome:
1. I am terrible at sports. I don't even have proof because I've never been on any athletic team save one little summer of swim team—which I HATED. The only way I'd be good at basketball is if you got points for every time you missed the basket. Then I'd ROCK. Because of my left handedness, I can never figure out which hand feels "right" when I'm attempting a variety of sports: golf, tennis, volleyball, baseball, billiards, etc. It always feels "wrong," and people have a hard time teaching the gimp lefty to begin with.
2. I can't believe I'm about to admit this. It's one of my deepest, most shameful secrets. Usually I just tell people I've never been to a concert. I mean, that's pathetic, but not as pathetic as the truth.
I have been to ONE concert. It was for my 12th birthday, and my parents took me to see him:
That's right, people, I went to a Kenny G concert for my 12th birthday. And I was EXCITED. I totally loved his music back then, but quickly learned how embarrassing that was when all my friends made fun of him. So I never told anyone I'd been to a live concert. With my parents. I've kept this dark secret too long. Kenny, you rocked that concert.
3. I am an awful housekeeper. It's just not high on my priority list. And with two little tornadoes in the house it almost doesn't matter how often I clean. Because the second I do, they just mess it up for the 534th time. I offer you proof, just so you know I'm not kidding:
This is just a small part of the disaster called my living room.
Laundry is my arch nemesis, and it wins a lot.4. I have this problem where I fall in love with clothes that look really bad on me. And then I get pictures taken in them and cringe. Why the heck did I wear that?
Exhibit A:
As you can see, my love of orange runs long and deep. But, well, it's not the most flattering color on me even now. Also note the choppy haircut, a result of my own styling. Lovely. I have more, but the humiliation is over flowing as it is.5. I'm really bad at talking to people in person. Small talk has always eluded me, mostly because I am sure people will think I sound like an idiot if I bring up some cliché topic. Example:
Stranger: Hey, I'm Charlie, nice to meet you.
Me: Oh, uh, hi. (Oh crap, what am I supposed to say? It looks like he's planning to stand here and talk to me for a while. Stop breathing so hard! Oh my gosh...I think I've not said anything for five minutes...)
Charlie: So, what's your name?
Me: Um, Natalie. (Crap, what do I say now? Weather? No, that's lame. Ask what he does for work? No, that's like asking how much money he makes and totally rude. Politics? Ack, that's always bad. I have no knowledge of sports...crap, I still haven't said anything!)
Charlie: What do you do?
Me: I'm a writer. (Dangit! Why didn't I just ask what he did? He obviously wouldn't have been offended. Stupid, stupid, stupid.)
I've discovered that all my inner thoughts end up looking like I'm not interested in talking to people. That's very not true. I just panic. So if you ever meet me in person, please forgive the long, awkward pauses. I swear I'm working on it.
6. And finally, the coup de grace, me in my glasses with no makeup. I never wear my glasses in public, but they are cute frames. Yeah...that should put to bed all those rumors of me being hawt. Thank goodness Lady Glam is taking my pictures tomorrow. She'll make me look fabulous, because she's seriously talented.
Wow, I'm think that's enough humiliation for one day...maybe even the whole year. But I feel better. Heaven forbid anyone think I'm too awesome, because it's simply not true. I'm just an average girl who happens to work really hard at a few things.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
How I Read
When I sit down to read a book, I get really anxious. Weird, huh. You'd think a writer like me would enjoy reading. Well, I do, really, I absolutely adore books in all shapes and forms. But I have this problem.
I'm an extremely emotional reader, and as you know I have a wild, overactive imagination. It's really bad, actually. I get so involved in a book that I will probably cry no matter what the genre is. And the characters take over my brain to the point where I often can't sleep if the book is really tense. I get this pit in my stomach—an anxious pit that makes me feel like I might throw up any second. Sometimes I even lose weight because I can't stomach food.
And I never know what book is going to punch me in the gut and leave me gasping for air. Because it's not so much the gore or the suspense or things like that. It's the emotions. Sometimes I resonate so much with a character that it physically hurts to read. I feel like I'm the one facing the problems, and sometimes I just can't handle them.
Like, uh, SLAM by Nick Hornby. I know—teen pregnancy and skateboarding! What the heck is my problem? Dude, that book made me bawl. I bawled for about 200 pages and couldn't take it anymore. I still feel awful for putting it down, but it was too close to me. All I could think about was my friend in high school who went through that, and it hurt so bad.
I went through the same thing with THE HUNGER GAMES, except I managed to finish it. I do think it's a spectacular book, but that thing ripped my heart out and smeared it all over the arena grounds. I bought CATCHING FIRE the day it came out, but I've been putting it off after I remembered what the first one did to me. Started yesterday, and yes, I feel sick.
I guess that's a compliment in some weird way, that these writers can put me so firmly in the main character's shoes. But it's emotionally exhausting for me, and I have to space out these types of books with lots of sparkles and fun in between. Dude, I'm terrified of THE BOOK THIEF. It sits on my shelf, taunting me, because I know it will cripple me like this and that I'll love it at the same time.
And you wondered why I write about wacky ninja antics and surfing cyborgs. HA. (Okay, even they make me cry sometimes. No joke.)
I'm an extremely emotional reader, and as you know I have a wild, overactive imagination. It's really bad, actually. I get so involved in a book that I will probably cry no matter what the genre is. And the characters take over my brain to the point where I often can't sleep if the book is really tense. I get this pit in my stomach—an anxious pit that makes me feel like I might throw up any second. Sometimes I even lose weight because I can't stomach food.
And I never know what book is going to punch me in the gut and leave me gasping for air. Because it's not so much the gore or the suspense or things like that. It's the emotions. Sometimes I resonate so much with a character that it physically hurts to read. I feel like I'm the one facing the problems, and sometimes I just can't handle them.
Like, uh, SLAM by Nick Hornby. I know—teen pregnancy and skateboarding! What the heck is my problem? Dude, that book made me bawl. I bawled for about 200 pages and couldn't take it anymore. I still feel awful for putting it down, but it was too close to me. All I could think about was my friend in high school who went through that, and it hurt so bad.
I went through the same thing with THE HUNGER GAMES, except I managed to finish it. I do think it's a spectacular book, but that thing ripped my heart out and smeared it all over the arena grounds. I bought CATCHING FIRE the day it came out, but I've been putting it off after I remembered what the first one did to me. Started yesterday, and yes, I feel sick.
I guess that's a compliment in some weird way, that these writers can put me so firmly in the main character's shoes. But it's emotionally exhausting for me, and I have to space out these types of books with lots of sparkles and fun in between. Dude, I'm terrified of THE BOOK THIEF. It sits on my shelf, taunting me, because I know it will cripple me like this and that I'll love it at the same time.
And you wondered why I write about wacky ninja antics and surfing cyborgs. HA. (Okay, even they make me cry sometimes. No joke.)
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Teen Girls LOVE Adverbs
*Warning: Rant Ahead*
I'm going to be very honest here—I'm tired of people knocking on Stephenie Meyer. If you're a writer, you've heard it, so I won't repeat what people say about her here. In fact, this goes for every big name writer, but I feel particularly protective over Stephenie because she's the YA Queen and that's my genre.
First off, I'm just going to put myself in her shoes for a second: I wrote a book—a book I loved with characters that were very close to my heart. I worked very hard on my book. I put my heart and soul into it. My hands shook the first time I gave it to a stranger to read. I was elated and humbled when an agent actually wanted to represent it! Even more shocked when a publisher wanted PUBLISH it! All my dreams had come true.
And people LOVED my book! MY book! I was so touched that people found something in my pages that they connected with. I couldn't have imagined this success! The bestseller list? A movie? Really?
But now things have changed. My own community—the writers—say I'm not good. They say my stories have no literary merit and that my prose is terrible. I'm the butt of every other joke. I have success, but it still hurts. I never said I was a literary writer...I had an idea for a story...and I wrote the story I loved.
Stephenie Meyer is a person, guys. And more than that—she's a writer. Her journey, though it may have been faster than some, is our journey. Remember all those insecurities you feel as a writer? (Is this good enough? Will people like me? Will people love my story? My characters?)
I'm going to use the powers of empathy to say that maybe Meyer feels those very same things. I personally have seen some triumphs (still geeking out that I have a for reals agent), but deep down inside I'm terrified for the moment that someone will call me a hack. Because the little doubt monster in my head says that all the time, and my greatest fear is that it's 100% true.
Shouldn't we, as writers, treat our own with more kindness and respect?
Because secondly, Stephenie Meyer's success is good for all of us. Dude, people are READING because of her. More than that, TEENS are reading because of her. In a world where there are dozens of entertainment outlets at our bored fingertips, we should be grateful to any writer who can convince a person to put down the blackberry and pick up a 500-page book.
And when they finish her epic series—a lot of the times they want to read more from other authors! Holy Hannah! People wanting to read more is never a bad thing. There is a good chance, if you're a YA writer with a published book, that Stephanie got that new fan of yours into the bookstore in the first place.
Not only that, but one could argue that Stephenie put YA on the map. Yes, JK Rowling was there too, but Harry Potter technically started as MG and it didn't have that certain brand of "grit" until the later books. And yes, there were many big authors in YA before Stephenie, but she brought the genre into mainstream entertainment. Uh, that's kind of a big deal, and as a YA writer I'm grateful that people are taking notice of how great YA is now.
Thirdly, I don't care how "bad" her writing is—you know you stayed up until three in the morning to finish all her books. I totally did. You cannot deny their addictive quality, and that, whether you like it or not, takes TALENT to write. How many of you can write a book that readers can't put down? That's the goal, isn't it?
Something about her writing works, and I think we'd all do better to learn from Stephenie rather than make fun of her. I loved the post Megan Rebekah did a while ago: How To Mimic Twilight's Success. So. True.
Because you may not personally like adverbs—but teen girls LOVE adverbs. Like Megan said, when a teen girl says, "Tell me everything," they totally, completely mean it. Girls LOVE details. They want to know exactly how a boy looked at you. They want to analyze every single word and decode the mystery as to why that boy is acting like that. They want to recreate the moment over and over again in their minds—and they never get bored of it. They want forever with a guy (seriously, we're programmed like that from the start). And if that guy is hot, dangerous, and willing to sacrifice everything for them—even better.
Guys, Stephenie wrote the perfect book for her audience. And you can knock it all you want, but I admire her. I admire her ability to capture exactly what a lot of girls feel and want. You might be able to write prose so beautiful it makes angels cry, but what does that matter if you can't grasp an audience and keep them turning pages? Not much, that's for sure.
So there, it's out in the open—I like Stephenie Meyer and I'm not afraid to say it. The Twilight Series is wildly addicting and compelling, and I will be seeing New Moon in theaters. And, gasp, I even liked Breaking Dawn. Was everything perfect? Of course not. But I'm not a perfect writer either and I would hate for people to throw out my whole idea just because I was human.
I'm going to be very honest here—I'm tired of people knocking on Stephenie Meyer. If you're a writer, you've heard it, so I won't repeat what people say about her here. In fact, this goes for every big name writer, but I feel particularly protective over Stephenie because she's the YA Queen and that's my genre.
First off, I'm just going to put myself in her shoes for a second: I wrote a book—a book I loved with characters that were very close to my heart. I worked very hard on my book. I put my heart and soul into it. My hands shook the first time I gave it to a stranger to read. I was elated and humbled when an agent actually wanted to represent it! Even more shocked when a publisher wanted PUBLISH it! All my dreams had come true.
And people LOVED my book! MY book! I was so touched that people found something in my pages that they connected with. I couldn't have imagined this success! The bestseller list? A movie? Really?
But now things have changed. My own community—the writers—say I'm not good. They say my stories have no literary merit and that my prose is terrible. I'm the butt of every other joke. I have success, but it still hurts. I never said I was a literary writer...I had an idea for a story...and I wrote the story I loved.
Stephenie Meyer is a person, guys. And more than that—she's a writer. Her journey, though it may have been faster than some, is our journey. Remember all those insecurities you feel as a writer? (Is this good enough? Will people like me? Will people love my story? My characters?)
I'm going to use the powers of empathy to say that maybe Meyer feels those very same things. I personally have seen some triumphs (still geeking out that I have a for reals agent), but deep down inside I'm terrified for the moment that someone will call me a hack. Because the little doubt monster in my head says that all the time, and my greatest fear is that it's 100% true.
Shouldn't we, as writers, treat our own with more kindness and respect?
Because secondly, Stephenie Meyer's success is good for all of us. Dude, people are READING because of her. More than that, TEENS are reading because of her. In a world where there are dozens of entertainment outlets at our bored fingertips, we should be grateful to any writer who can convince a person to put down the blackberry and pick up a 500-page book.
And when they finish her epic series—a lot of the times they want to read more from other authors! Holy Hannah! People wanting to read more is never a bad thing. There is a good chance, if you're a YA writer with a published book, that Stephanie got that new fan of yours into the bookstore in the first place.
Not only that, but one could argue that Stephenie put YA on the map. Yes, JK Rowling was there too, but Harry Potter technically started as MG and it didn't have that certain brand of "grit" until the later books. And yes, there were many big authors in YA before Stephenie, but she brought the genre into mainstream entertainment. Uh, that's kind of a big deal, and as a YA writer I'm grateful that people are taking notice of how great YA is now.
Thirdly, I don't care how "bad" her writing is—you know you stayed up until three in the morning to finish all her books. I totally did. You cannot deny their addictive quality, and that, whether you like it or not, takes TALENT to write. How many of you can write a book that readers can't put down? That's the goal, isn't it?
Something about her writing works, and I think we'd all do better to learn from Stephenie rather than make fun of her. I loved the post Megan Rebekah did a while ago: How To Mimic Twilight's Success. So. True.
Because you may not personally like adverbs—but teen girls LOVE adverbs. Like Megan said, when a teen girl says, "Tell me everything," they totally, completely mean it. Girls LOVE details. They want to know exactly how a boy looked at you. They want to analyze every single word and decode the mystery as to why that boy is acting like that. They want to recreate the moment over and over again in their minds—and they never get bored of it. They want forever with a guy (seriously, we're programmed like that from the start). And if that guy is hot, dangerous, and willing to sacrifice everything for them—even better.
Guys, Stephenie wrote the perfect book for her audience. And you can knock it all you want, but I admire her. I admire her ability to capture exactly what a lot of girls feel and want. You might be able to write prose so beautiful it makes angels cry, but what does that matter if you can't grasp an audience and keep them turning pages? Not much, that's for sure.
So there, it's out in the open—I like Stephenie Meyer and I'm not afraid to say it. The Twilight Series is wildly addicting and compelling, and I will be seeing New Moon in theaters. And, gasp, I even liked Breaking Dawn. Was everything perfect? Of course not. But I'm not a perfect writer either and I would hate for people to throw out my whole idea just because I was human.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
No Pressure
Few matters of business first:
1. I got a blog award that says I need to state my favorite superhero and why. That would be Wolverine. Why? Why NOT? I mean, I was nicknamed for him at one point. I don't pass on awards, but thank you so much for thinking of me!
2. My buddy Michelle (aka: Lady Glamis) is having a big short story contest over at the Literary Lab—Genre Wars. Prizes and a chance to be in an anthology! Check it out, you have plenty of time to enter and profit on the anthology goes to charity.
3. My dear friend Kiersten has a beautiful post up today about how cutting words can be: Words Like Lashes. Please read. She says it much better than I can.
*Lights fade on business*
*Enter actual post*
This is kind of a big deal for me, though it might seem a little silly:
I'm actually writing again!
I know that sounds ridiculous coming from the ninja cyborg who's been known to write a book a month, but I promise this is very happy news.
I've been in a slump, guys. A big one. I think a lot of you know this. It hit around the beginning of the summer—everything I wrote looked like junk to me. And not just the new stuff, even the things I'd edited and refined. It was all crap.
There was a combination of factors that contributed to my slump, but I think the biggest one was the pressure I put on myself. Pressure to be funny. Pressure to get the first draft perfect. Pressure to make every word the right one. Pressure to do a flawless edit. Pressure to be the best writer ever born.
Soul-crushing, unrealistic pressure.
Don't get me wrong. I tried to write and edit (and even accomplished things), but for the first time ever I was giving up on projects. Even my IDEAS sounded stupid. I knew I was being ridiculous, but I still couldn't shake the demon. I. Just. Sucked.
I didn't want to say it too soon (since I worried it might disappear), but I think I found my magic again last week. And I found it in the strangest way:
I decided this WIP wasn't getting published.
Hey now, no gasping. I'm not going off the deep end or anything. I just had this realization—I write WAY too much. There is no possible way that all my books will be published. (Some of you might now be saying, "They could, if you become famous and stuff!" Well, I'm going to play it safe and assume I'm not the next Stephanie Meyer.)
A lot of my ideas are series, honestly, which means I have even more unwritten at this point than I can handle. When I do see publication (yes, I believe I will see it), I doubt even my cybernetic self could handle more than one book being published at a time. I will have to pick the projects I love most. It's going to hurt, but it's okay.
Because I'm free to enjoy the other ones! My current WIP is for fun. I can't tell you how liberating it is to throw off the pressure and just mess around with an idea. I'm not wondering if it's original enough. I'm not telling myself it has to be perfect. I'm not fretting over what might have to be cut before I even finish. I'm not worried about the fact that I have no idea what happens next.
I'm just writing.
It feels good, been a long time since I just let myself go.
1. I got a blog award that says I need to state my favorite superhero and why. That would be Wolverine. Why? Why NOT? I mean, I was nicknamed for him at one point. I don't pass on awards, but thank you so much for thinking of me!
2. My buddy Michelle (aka: Lady Glamis) is having a big short story contest over at the Literary Lab—Genre Wars. Prizes and a chance to be in an anthology! Check it out, you have plenty of time to enter and profit on the anthology goes to charity.
3. My dear friend Kiersten has a beautiful post up today about how cutting words can be: Words Like Lashes. Please read. She says it much better than I can.
*Lights fade on business*
*Enter actual post*
This is kind of a big deal for me, though it might seem a little silly:
I'm actually writing again!
I know that sounds ridiculous coming from the ninja cyborg who's been known to write a book a month, but I promise this is very happy news.
I've been in a slump, guys. A big one. I think a lot of you know this. It hit around the beginning of the summer—everything I wrote looked like junk to me. And not just the new stuff, even the things I'd edited and refined. It was all crap.
There was a combination of factors that contributed to my slump, but I think the biggest one was the pressure I put on myself. Pressure to be funny. Pressure to get the first draft perfect. Pressure to make every word the right one. Pressure to do a flawless edit. Pressure to be the best writer ever born.
Soul-crushing, unrealistic pressure.
Don't get me wrong. I tried to write and edit (and even accomplished things), but for the first time ever I was giving up on projects. Even my IDEAS sounded stupid. I knew I was being ridiculous, but I still couldn't shake the demon. I. Just. Sucked.
I didn't want to say it too soon (since I worried it might disappear), but I think I found my magic again last week. And I found it in the strangest way:
I decided this WIP wasn't getting published.
Hey now, no gasping. I'm not going off the deep end or anything. I just had this realization—I write WAY too much. There is no possible way that all my books will be published. (Some of you might now be saying, "They could, if you become famous and stuff!" Well, I'm going to play it safe and assume I'm not the next Stephanie Meyer.)
A lot of my ideas are series, honestly, which means I have even more unwritten at this point than I can handle. When I do see publication (yes, I believe I will see it), I doubt even my cybernetic self could handle more than one book being published at a time. I will have to pick the projects I love most. It's going to hurt, but it's okay.
Because I'm free to enjoy the other ones! My current WIP is for fun. I can't tell you how liberating it is to throw off the pressure and just mess around with an idea. I'm not wondering if it's original enough. I'm not telling myself it has to be perfect. I'm not fretting over what might have to be cut before I even finish. I'm not worried about the fact that I have no idea what happens next.
I'm just writing.
It feels good, been a long time since I just let myself go.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Yes, Carrie Harris ROCKS!
I keep saying I have some seriously awesome friends—and I'm sure you believe me—but I just have to make sure you really know how cool they are.
Carrie Harris is getting PUBLISHED!!!! Join the zombie conga line! (But don't dance too fast or you'll knock them all over, then it'd be zombie dominoes, hehe.)
The brilliant Wendy Loggia over at Delacorte has added No Pain, No Brain to her repertoire of awesomeness (*cough* Libba Bray, anyone?).
I've known Carrie for, oh, nine or so months now? And she is the most wonderful, zany person out there. I mean, I knew we were destined to be friends when I saw she was the leader of The Semi-Secret Order of the Blog Ninja. I had to have that award, so I sent her one of my all time favorite ninja videos. The rest is history.
Seriously, Carrie is my example of perseverance. You would never know how long her journey has been because she takes everything with a refreshing dose of humor. Her blog makes me laugh everyday, and those are laughs I've needed. So thank you, Carrie, for your friendship, example, and comedic genius. You deserve this SO. MUCH. You better be dancing still.
Carrie Harris is getting PUBLISHED!!!! Join the zombie conga line! (But don't dance too fast or you'll knock them all over, then it'd be zombie dominoes, hehe.)
The brilliant Wendy Loggia over at Delacorte has added No Pain, No Brain to her repertoire of awesomeness (*cough* Libba Bray, anyone?).
I've known Carrie for, oh, nine or so months now? And she is the most wonderful, zany person out there. I mean, I knew we were destined to be friends when I saw she was the leader of The Semi-Secret Order of the Blog Ninja. I had to have that award, so I sent her one of my all time favorite ninja videos. The rest is history.
Seriously, Carrie is my example of perseverance. You would never know how long her journey has been because she takes everything with a refreshing dose of humor. Her blog makes me laugh everyday, and those are laughs I've needed. So thank you, Carrie, for your friendship, example, and comedic genius. You deserve this SO. MUCH. You better be dancing still.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Saturday Sketch 5.5
I am still working on the art for the contest winners, so this Saturday you get Amy Sato, from Relax, I'm a Ninja. She's all dressed up for a dance in this picture, but she usually wears baggy sweats for late night D&D campaigns. I think she cleans up pretty well; Tosh thinks so too.
Amy is one of my favorite characters. She is smart, funny, and a little on the reckless side, but deep down she's more serious and insecure than she ever lets on. And let's face it, ninja girls rock.
Friday, September 11, 2009
"United We Stand"
I was Student Body Artist my senior year of high school, which basically means I made all the posters for school events. It was an interesting experience, since my position wasn't an elected one. I went through an interview, the teacher over the program reviewed my portfolio, and then hand-picked me (and another) for the job.
Imagine throwing a robin into a cage with eagles—yeah, that's how I felt. I was not popular in school, but being on student council put me in contact with people who would have never talked with me otherwise. It was intimidating, yet educational at the same time. I really connected with some of them—I never expected them to respect me like they did.
Before school, we were asked to come up with a theme/motto for the year. Man, we spent hours brainstorming. I can't remember all the other ones, but I came up with "United We Stand." I just thought that was a good message for a school where cliques were very real. I'd learned that I could get a long with popular people, and I thought we should keep that going the whole year.
Some people didn't want that to be our theme, but somehow it finally got the vote. And when the school year started we made big posters with "United We Stand" on them. The first assembly was all about coming together as a school, supporting each other, and being a little kinder to those that are different from us.
And then September 11th happened.
I could tell you what it was like sitting in art class that morning. I could go over all the details that are still there in my head. But not today.
I remember thinking, "Wow, if there were ever a time we needed to be united, it's now." I got chills. I don't know how or why, but our student council had truly picked the perfect theme for that year. In fact, it became the entire Nation's theme.
United We Stand.
I remember how the country felt that year. It seemed like for once people had put their differences aside and come together as a nation. Do you remember that? No one was criticizing the President. No one was condemning entire political parties. No one was cursing the conservatives or the liberals. We were just...Americans. We were united.
Now, I'm not saying 9/11 was a good thing in any way. It was the worst day I've witnessed with my young eyes. But through the grief and pain and fear, I learned that people can be kind and selfless and so much more than human.
Has anyone else noticed how much things have changed since then? I get so tired of the fighting. I can barely watch the news. How did so much division crop up in eight years?
Maybe I'm just a dreamer at heart, but I think we can find unity again without tragedy first. If only we could remember how good it feels. I haven't forgotten.
Imagine throwing a robin into a cage with eagles—yeah, that's how I felt. I was not popular in school, but being on student council put me in contact with people who would have never talked with me otherwise. It was intimidating, yet educational at the same time. I really connected with some of them—I never expected them to respect me like they did.
Before school, we were asked to come up with a theme/motto for the year. Man, we spent hours brainstorming. I can't remember all the other ones, but I came up with "United We Stand." I just thought that was a good message for a school where cliques were very real. I'd learned that I could get a long with popular people, and I thought we should keep that going the whole year.
Some people didn't want that to be our theme, but somehow it finally got the vote. And when the school year started we made big posters with "United We Stand" on them. The first assembly was all about coming together as a school, supporting each other, and being a little kinder to those that are different from us.
And then September 11th happened.
I could tell you what it was like sitting in art class that morning. I could go over all the details that are still there in my head. But not today.
I remember thinking, "Wow, if there were ever a time we needed to be united, it's now." I got chills. I don't know how or why, but our student council had truly picked the perfect theme for that year. In fact, it became the entire Nation's theme.
United We Stand.
I remember how the country felt that year. It seemed like for once people had put their differences aside and come together as a nation. Do you remember that? No one was criticizing the President. No one was condemning entire political parties. No one was cursing the conservatives or the liberals. We were just...Americans. We were united.
Now, I'm not saying 9/11 was a good thing in any way. It was the worst day I've witnessed with my young eyes. But through the grief and pain and fear, I learned that people can be kind and selfless and so much more than human.
Has anyone else noticed how much things have changed since then? I get so tired of the fighting. I can barely watch the news. How did so much division crop up in eight years?
Maybe I'm just a dreamer at heart, but I think we can find unity again without tragedy first. If only we could remember how good it feels. I haven't forgotten.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
"We Do Hard Things"
I don't often talk about church (okay, maybe once ever), but this story had a profound impact on me and it's not exactly religious so I really want to share it.
On Sunday a woman gave a talk about work (in mormon church services, members give the "sermons," except we call them talks). She told us about how her children would always complain about things being "too hard." One was struggling with reading, and he didn't want to do it because it was "too hard." Another wanted to quit soccer because it was "too hard." And another wouldn't do math homework because it was just "too hard."
I think we've all said this as kids too. I quit gymnastics because it was too hard, and same with swim team. I didn't like algebra because it was too hard. And I never made very many friends because talking to people was just way, way too hard.
Well, this woman got fed up with hearing about how everything was too hard. So she started telling her kids, "We do hard things." She told them that wasn't a valid excuse to stop trying; it was just lazy. She even put the phrase up in her house—framed and all. Eventually, her kids stopped saying things were too hard. Maybe just to avoid her lecture, but still.
I love this idea. Why do we allow ourselves to stop trying just because something is hard? What good was ever accomplished by taking the easy way out? Why are we so afraid to give it all we got and really work our butts off? Why don't we do more hard things?
All the good things in my life came from Hard Work—marriage, babies, my degree, a book I'm really proud of. How many more good things could I have if I stopped thinking about how hard it was and just did it anyway? Oh, the possibilities.
So I'm putting up my own framed saying, and I'm going to look at it everyday to remind myself that a little Hard Work never hurt anyone. I'm not afraid to put in serious effort anymore.
I do hard things.
On Sunday a woman gave a talk about work (in mormon church services, members give the "sermons," except we call them talks). She told us about how her children would always complain about things being "too hard." One was struggling with reading, and he didn't want to do it because it was "too hard." Another wanted to quit soccer because it was "too hard." And another wouldn't do math homework because it was just "too hard."
I think we've all said this as kids too. I quit gymnastics because it was too hard, and same with swim team. I didn't like algebra because it was too hard. And I never made very many friends because talking to people was just way, way too hard.
Well, this woman got fed up with hearing about how everything was too hard. So she started telling her kids, "We do hard things." She told them that wasn't a valid excuse to stop trying; it was just lazy. She even put the phrase up in her house—framed and all. Eventually, her kids stopped saying things were too hard. Maybe just to avoid her lecture, but still.
I love this idea. Why do we allow ourselves to stop trying just because something is hard? What good was ever accomplished by taking the easy way out? Why are we so afraid to give it all we got and really work our butts off? Why don't we do more hard things?
All the good things in my life came from Hard Work—marriage, babies, my degree, a book I'm really proud of. How many more good things could I have if I stopped thinking about how hard it was and just did it anyway? Oh, the possibilities.
So I'm putting up my own framed saying, and I'm going to look at it everyday to remind myself that a little Hard Work never hurt anyone. I'm not afraid to put in serious effort anymore.
I do hard things.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Beating Revision Fatigue
Oh, hi guys! I realize I haven't been around as much lately. I've been working on edits, you know, for my agent. (Have I mentioned lately that I have an agent? Because I do, and he's really cool and these edits are brilliant as usual.) With work, potty training, shorter Ninja Princess naps, and holidays, I have actually been busy. I swear a month ago I was bored out of my mind doing nothing. Weird.
Whenever I jump into edits again, I think a lot about why and how I do them. Let's face it—edits aren't easy. Even if you enjoy them, even if you are good at them, even if they make the story better, they push us to grow as writers and growing pains hurt like the dickens.
If you've followed my blog for a while, you'll know that I've been editing the majority of this year. I did manage to write three books too, but for the most part I've been editing two projects: Relax, I'm a Ninja and Void. And not just easy copy edits—massive overhauls.
Looking back, I wonder how I've made it through without losing my mind completely (maybe because I never had a mind to begin with?). How is it possible to be in double-digit drafts on Void and still not be totally tired of it?
I think there are a few things that have helped me, and I wanted to share them for those of you who might be wading through your own edits.
1. Keep Being Creative
Editing is definitely stimulating, but I personally don't see it as a creative process. I have to think critically of my work, tear it apart, and make it into something cleaner than the raw ideas of a rough draft.
It's tiring on my brain, but I constantly refuel by doing other creative things like drawing, reading, or working on a new project (which is why I have so many rough drafts staring me in the face, ack). Keeping up on creativity also helps me think outside of the box with editing; it makes me less afraid to make big changes.
2. Let It Sit—Before You Burn Out
I think a lot of writers stop editing when they can't possibly look at another page without deleting the whole thing. I don't think it's healthy to get to that point. I know when a Burn Out is coming. My head starts to get a little fuzzy and I get tense. Sadly, I start to snap at my kids.
Instead of continuing, I stop right there. I walk away from the book and do something I find relaxing and wholly unrelated to writing—yoga, cooking, worthless reality TV, video games, bubble baths, etc. Once I find my zen, I get back to work. That's usually a lot quicker (maybe a day) than if I let myself fizzle and then wait weeks to recharge.
3. Take Smaller Bites
I always schedule my edits, otherwise I tend to get 1) overwhelmed or 2) obsessed with finishing as soon as possible. Both of those things can quickly lead to Burn Out, I've found.
My schedule looks something like this, but with much more detail:
Wednesday:
Fix dialogue in Chapter 3.
Cut basket weaving scene from Chapter 4.
Thursday:
Chapter 5 needs more emotion.
Split Chapter 6.
I never do more than I've scheduled, though I'm often tempted. Sometimes I do get behind (like this weekend), and I then work to catch up. When I cross off my small goals, I feel like I'm making progress without worrying about all the problems at once.
And most importantly:
4. Don't Beat Yourself Up
Editing can lead to a lot of self doubt and criticism. I personally have struggled with that over the past months, being the perfectionist that I am. But you have to accept your humanity. Having to do edits doesn't make you a bad writer—it just makes you totally normal. You are allowed to get it wrong. There is no Writing Police to cart you away when you mess up a scene for the 30th time.
You can get it right—that's the beauty of revision. It's like a billion second chances. So instead of focusing on how bad you messed it up the first time, you should focus on making the second (or fifteenth) really count.
Hugs and sparkles to all the writers doing revisions! You can do it!
Whenever I jump into edits again, I think a lot about why and how I do them. Let's face it—edits aren't easy. Even if you enjoy them, even if you are good at them, even if they make the story better, they push us to grow as writers and growing pains hurt like the dickens.
If you've followed my blog for a while, you'll know that I've been editing the majority of this year. I did manage to write three books too, but for the most part I've been editing two projects: Relax, I'm a Ninja and Void. And not just easy copy edits—massive overhauls.
Looking back, I wonder how I've made it through without losing my mind completely (maybe because I never had a mind to begin with?). How is it possible to be in double-digit drafts on Void and still not be totally tired of it?
I think there are a few things that have helped me, and I wanted to share them for those of you who might be wading through your own edits.
1. Keep Being Creative
Editing is definitely stimulating, but I personally don't see it as a creative process. I have to think critically of my work, tear it apart, and make it into something cleaner than the raw ideas of a rough draft.
It's tiring on my brain, but I constantly refuel by doing other creative things like drawing, reading, or working on a new project (which is why I have so many rough drafts staring me in the face, ack). Keeping up on creativity also helps me think outside of the box with editing; it makes me less afraid to make big changes.
2. Let It Sit—Before You Burn Out
I think a lot of writers stop editing when they can't possibly look at another page without deleting the whole thing. I don't think it's healthy to get to that point. I know when a Burn Out is coming. My head starts to get a little fuzzy and I get tense. Sadly, I start to snap at my kids.
Instead of continuing, I stop right there. I walk away from the book and do something I find relaxing and wholly unrelated to writing—yoga, cooking, worthless reality TV, video games, bubble baths, etc. Once I find my zen, I get back to work. That's usually a lot quicker (maybe a day) than if I let myself fizzle and then wait weeks to recharge.
3. Take Smaller Bites
I always schedule my edits, otherwise I tend to get 1) overwhelmed or 2) obsessed with finishing as soon as possible. Both of those things can quickly lead to Burn Out, I've found.
My schedule looks something like this, but with much more detail:
Wednesday:
Fix dialogue in Chapter 3.
Cut basket weaving scene from Chapter 4.
Thursday:
Chapter 5 needs more emotion.
Split Chapter 6.
I never do more than I've scheduled, though I'm often tempted. Sometimes I do get behind (like this weekend), and I then work to catch up. When I cross off my small goals, I feel like I'm making progress without worrying about all the problems at once.
And most importantly:
4. Don't Beat Yourself Up
Editing can lead to a lot of self doubt and criticism. I personally have struggled with that over the past months, being the perfectionist that I am. But you have to accept your humanity. Having to do edits doesn't make you a bad writer—it just makes you totally normal. You are allowed to get it wrong. There is no Writing Police to cart you away when you mess up a scene for the 30th time.
You can get it right—that's the beauty of revision. It's like a billion second chances. So instead of focusing on how bad you messed it up the first time, you should focus on making the second (or fifteenth) really count.
Hugs and sparkles to all the writers doing revisions! You can do it!
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Book Commentary: Eyes Like Stars
Short Summary: Beatrice lives in an enchanted theater where all the Players are real. After one too many pranks, the Theater Manager wants her out. Now she must find a way to prove herself useful or face the world outside the theater.I don't want to gush too much about Lisa Mantchev's Eyes Like Stars, but, man, I loved this book! While it did take a few chapters to get going, the world is so fresh and fun—it really stands out in a saturated YA fantasy market. I can honestly say I've never read a world like this!
Many of you know I get very involved in the books I read, maybe too involved. Some books are so suspenseful that I can't eat because I get too anxious. Some are so tense that I can't sleep. These books make me tired; I have to mentally prepare myself to face it. Eyes Like Stars didn't do any of that to me, and so I love it more.
Not that it didn't have conflict, because it certainly did, but there was enough comic relief and I always felt like Beatrice would succeed. I could just sit back and enjoy watching the story unfold. And I honestly enjoyed it so much—I can't wait for the next book. I'm already trying to figure out how I can snag an ARC.
The characters were fun and full of personality. I loved that Beatrice acted like a teen, but also had a very naive/child-like aspect to her. That only makes sense for a character who has never seen the outside world. The little fairies from A Midsummer's Night Dream are hilarious.
And it was all about the theater! I've spent many a night feeling like I lived in a theater, so it brought back a lot of fond memories. I think any teen who is into drama would really enjoy this (and it's super clean, too, for those who care).
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Saturday Sketch 5.4 (Unexpected Proposal)
I don't want to brag, but how awesome is this picture? I almost can't believe I drew it—turned out way better than I planned. I think I've crossed some kind of threshold in my art. It's like I'm now a level 4 artist, where a month ago I was totally a level 3 artist. I guess that's what practice does.
This is Coral Starfall and Charles Twinfire from Void. The scene is the inciting incident for the whole novel. Charles proposes to Coral—she freaks out and decides to run away to the Void world where she belongs. I'll just say the wizards aren't quite done with her though.
I also messed around in photoshop and colored this one, just to see how that would look. I like it, but I think both look good.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Orange Contest Winners
It was so hard to pick just two, but I think I've finally decided on my favorites. I would have had honorable mentions, but I just don't think I could have done that many sketches with my current time constraints. Maybe next contest.
Okay, the Runner-up first. This person wins a black-and-white drawing of their choice:
Jessie!
with her hilarious: As his face drew closer for their first kiss, his bright orange hair and freckles flashed before her like roadway caution signs, only this one read—Slow Down, Bumpy Relationship Ahead.
I liked this because not only was it funny, but because it used orange in a way that no one else did. The fact that the boy's physical description gives her worry over what the future might bring is just cool to me. And I can totally imagine what she might do next—pull away. (Note: Or not, according to the creator. Awesome.)
And now for the grand prize Ultimate Winner of an awesome full color drawing:
Candice!
with her wonderful: Her disposition was like orange marmalade, mostly sweet with just a hint of bitter.
Honestly, I couldn't stop thinking about this one after I read it, so I knew it was the winner (took me longer to decide on the Runner-up). What I love about this comparison is how concise it is. It packs so much punch using so little. With this one simile, I know how this girl works, even though I don't know anything else about her. That is hard to do—to capture a character's personality so perfectly. So kudos, Candi!
Prize winners, please contact me and we'll work out what you'd like drawn. And thanks again to everyone who participated! It was so much fun to read all the entries!
Okay, the Runner-up first. This person wins a black-and-white drawing of their choice:
Jessie!
with her hilarious: As his face drew closer for their first kiss, his bright orange hair and freckles flashed before her like roadway caution signs, only this one read—Slow Down, Bumpy Relationship Ahead.
I liked this because not only was it funny, but because it used orange in a way that no one else did. The fact that the boy's physical description gives her worry over what the future might bring is just cool to me. And I can totally imagine what she might do next—pull away. (Note: Or not, according to the creator. Awesome.)
And now for the grand prize Ultimate Winner of an awesome full color drawing:
Candice!
with her wonderful: Her disposition was like orange marmalade, mostly sweet with just a hint of bitter.
Honestly, I couldn't stop thinking about this one after I read it, so I knew it was the winner (took me longer to decide on the Runner-up). What I love about this comparison is how concise it is. It packs so much punch using so little. With this one simile, I know how this girl works, even though I don't know anything else about her. That is hard to do—to capture a character's personality so perfectly. So kudos, Candi!
Prize winners, please contact me and we'll work out what you'd like drawn. And thanks again to everyone who participated! It was so much fun to read all the entries!
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Nerd Rages
Contest Update: A big thank you to all who entered! There were so many great similes/metaphors that it's going to take me another day to decide the Ultimate Winner and Runner-up. You guys did "orange" justice—from beautiful, to funny, to just plain weird.
Nick and I have been laughing our heads off about Nerd Rages lately. Don't know what that is?
Nerd Rage: When a person loosely classified as a nerd gets angry/rants about something most people would find dorky and wholly unimportant.
It's not a Nerd Rage if it's something actually important, like health care or literacy. That's just plain old-fashioned Political Rage. It's not Nerd Rage if it's something mainstream like sports (Jock Rage) or reality TV (Couch Potato Rage) or freaking Speed Limit Avengers (uh, Road Rage).
No, Nerd Rage is much more sophisticated.
Example #1: You're playing World of Warcraft and after precisely 27 runs through Naxx 25, the dagger you've been wanting forever finally drops off the boss! But then you're outbid by the guy who is unemployed and raids for a living. You take a deep breath to quell the Nerd Rage—it's no big deal, he needed the dagger too.
But then you fight the next boss, and low and behold, THE DAGGER drops—the rare one with .2% drop rate. Omg, it's yours, and you're so glad that you didn't win the other one because you wouldn't have had the points for this one.
So you bid. And the UNEMPLOYED RAIDER BIDS AGAIN! And he WINS. You scream about the injustice, and the raid leader says he had more points. And you say he got the last dagger, and Unemployed Raider says this one is better. And then you disconnect because if you don't you're going to switch to horde and gank the crap out of all those who wronged you.
Yeah, that's Nerd Rage.
Example #2: You're talking with your friend about Harry Potter, and you say, "Man, could you imagine if Harry never got the letter from Hogwarts, the whole story wouldn't have happened."
And then your friend gives you this disgusted look. "Uh, hello? It so would have—did you forget the prophecy?"
"Yeah, but he would have stayed hidden for forever if he never went to Hogwarts, and then maybe Voldemort would start thinking it was Neville...and then maybe it would have been Neville!"
"Are you crazy? Neville? Voldemort CHOSE Harry. That's the whole point. He would have found him eventually and then blah blah blah..."
You and your friend don't talk for several days because you obviously don't see eye to eye on the greatest modern piece of fantasy out there.
Yeah, Nerd Rage.
Example #3: You're reading a friend's manuscript, and while you love the story, every time they leave out a serial comma you twitch a little.
I mean, sure, AP has omitted the serial comma, but the Chicago Manual is KING and the serial comma makes lists so. much. clearer. Seriously, "I like the paints called candy, peaches and cream." Is that "candy, peaches-and-cream"? Or is it "candy, peaches, and cream?" C'mon, people! Serial commas are important!
Yeah, Nerd Rage.
So, any of you guys suffered from a case of the Nerd Rage lately? Please tell me I'm not the only one.
Nick and I have been laughing our heads off about Nerd Rages lately. Don't know what that is?
Nerd Rage: When a person loosely classified as a nerd gets angry/rants about something most people would find dorky and wholly unimportant.
It's not a Nerd Rage if it's something actually important, like health care or literacy. That's just plain old-fashioned Political Rage. It's not Nerd Rage if it's something mainstream like sports (Jock Rage) or reality TV (Couch Potato Rage) or freaking Speed Limit Avengers (uh, Road Rage).
No, Nerd Rage is much more sophisticated.
Example #1: You're playing World of Warcraft and after precisely 27 runs through Naxx 25, the dagger you've been wanting forever finally drops off the boss! But then you're outbid by the guy who is unemployed and raids for a living. You take a deep breath to quell the Nerd Rage—it's no big deal, he needed the dagger too.
But then you fight the next boss, and low and behold, THE DAGGER drops—the rare one with .2% drop rate. Omg, it's yours, and you're so glad that you didn't win the other one because you wouldn't have had the points for this one.
So you bid. And the UNEMPLOYED RAIDER BIDS AGAIN! And he WINS. You scream about the injustice, and the raid leader says he had more points. And you say he got the last dagger, and Unemployed Raider says this one is better. And then you disconnect because if you don't you're going to switch to horde and gank the crap out of all those who wronged you.
Yeah, that's Nerd Rage.
Example #2: You're talking with your friend about Harry Potter, and you say, "Man, could you imagine if Harry never got the letter from Hogwarts, the whole story wouldn't have happened."
And then your friend gives you this disgusted look. "Uh, hello? It so would have—did you forget the prophecy?"
"Yeah, but he would have stayed hidden for forever if he never went to Hogwarts, and then maybe Voldemort would start thinking it was Neville...and then maybe it would have been Neville!"
"Are you crazy? Neville? Voldemort CHOSE Harry. That's the whole point. He would have found him eventually and then blah blah blah..."
You and your friend don't talk for several days because you obviously don't see eye to eye on the greatest modern piece of fantasy out there.
Yeah, Nerd Rage.
Example #3: You're reading a friend's manuscript, and while you love the story, every time they leave out a serial comma you twitch a little.
I mean, sure, AP has omitted the serial comma, but the Chicago Manual is KING and the serial comma makes lists so. much. clearer. Seriously, "I like the paints called candy, peaches and cream." Is that "candy, peaches-and-cream"? Or is it "candy, peaches, and cream?" C'mon, people! Serial commas are important!
Yeah, Nerd Rage.
So, any of you guys suffered from a case of the Nerd Rage lately? Please tell me I'm not the only one.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Day of Thanks
Reminder: My contest ends tonight at 7! If you want a chance to have an original drawing from me, hurry up.
Yesterday I announced that I now have an agent! (Wow, it's still true!) And the post got so long I decided that I would save all the thank yous for today. Feel free to picture me in a fancy orange dress holding the "I Have an Agent!" award, standing on stage in shock as I try to figure out how many people I can thank before they cue the music.
And....go!
1. Mom! I don't want to brag, but I have one of those awesome moms who believes her kids can do anything in the world. No, she doesn't just say it because she's supposed to. She honestly believes it. She taught me to reach for my dreams.
2. Nicco! My husband rocks. When I'm rough drafting, he doesn't whine about my zombie-like state, making dinner himself, or taking care of kids. He begs me for the next chapter, and the next. I'd be nowhere without that constant and enthusiastic support.
3. Kiersten and Renee! My first two guinea pigs, the poor souls who slogged through my early work. You dear, dear friends. I love you both like sisters.
4. Of course, Agent Nathan! Relax, I'm a Ninja would still be cool, but not as cool without your incredible advice. I love my book more than ever, which is weird since I was sure I'd be sick of it by now.
5. All my blogging friends! Kasie, Sara, Michelle, Candice, Lois, Jenn, Steph, Carrie, Adam, Ben, Whirl, Janey, Heather, Cindy, Jessie, and on and on. Your support and comments always make me feel special, especially through all those times when I seriously wondered why the heck I was doing this.
*Music slowly grows louder.*
Ah, crap. Um, oh! The rest of my amazing family! And my kids for napping so I can write! And PBS for educational television that makes me feel less guilty when my kids watch. And everyone else I missed!
*Man nudges me. Music is deafening.*
And Diet Mountain Dew Code Red for keeping me awake to write!
Okay, okay, I better stop. But really, I'm so grateful to all the people who have helped me along the way. Some people say that writing is a solitary venture, but for me it's not. It was only when I sought out other people's help and friendship that I grew as a writer. So thank you, everyone, for being there for me.
Yesterday I announced that I now have an agent! (Wow, it's still true!) And the post got so long I decided that I would save all the thank yous for today. Feel free to picture me in a fancy orange dress holding the "I Have an Agent!" award, standing on stage in shock as I try to figure out how many people I can thank before they cue the music.
And....go!
1. Mom! I don't want to brag, but I have one of those awesome moms who believes her kids can do anything in the world. No, she doesn't just say it because she's supposed to. She honestly believes it. She taught me to reach for my dreams.
2. Nicco! My husband rocks. When I'm rough drafting, he doesn't whine about my zombie-like state, making dinner himself, or taking care of kids. He begs me for the next chapter, and the next. I'd be nowhere without that constant and enthusiastic support.
3. Kiersten and Renee! My first two guinea pigs, the poor souls who slogged through my early work. You dear, dear friends. I love you both like sisters.
4. Of course, Agent Nathan! Relax, I'm a Ninja would still be cool, but not as cool without your incredible advice. I love my book more than ever, which is weird since I was sure I'd be sick of it by now.
5. All my blogging friends! Kasie, Sara, Michelle, Candice, Lois, Jenn, Steph, Carrie, Adam, Ben, Whirl, Janey, Heather, Cindy, Jessie, and on and on. Your support and comments always make me feel special, especially through all those times when I seriously wondered why the heck I was doing this.
*Music slowly grows louder.*
Ah, crap. Um, oh! The rest of my amazing family! And my kids for napping so I can write! And PBS for educational television that makes me feel less guilty when my kids watch. And everyone else I missed!
*Man nudges me. Music is deafening.*
And Diet Mountain Dew Code Red for keeping me awake to write!
Okay, okay, I better stop. But really, I'm so grateful to all the people who have helped me along the way. Some people say that writing is a solitary venture, but for me it's not. It was only when I sought out other people's help and friendship that I grew as a writer. So thank you, everyone, for being there for me.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Whoa, Are Those Pigs Flying?
I've imagined writing this post way more than I should admit. Sometimes it was filled with excited pictures of me jumping up and down clad in all orange clothing. Sometimes it was in all caps with lots of squee's and eeeek's. Pretty much all the time I was giggling like crazy as I wrote it. Well, that one's still true (teehee).
I mean, that's what you're supposed to do when you finally get an agent, right? Wait, I didn't mention that yet? Oh, yeah—maybe I should tell you. I have an agent now! And his name is Nathan Bransford.
(I'll give you a second to reread that, because I'm sure you're in just as much shock as I am. No—for reals—you are totally reading that right.)
So, um, Nathan's my agent! Me. Like, the girl who writes about ninjas and wizards and cyborgs (Not at the same time! Though that would be cool...). I'm currently going between that squealing giddy laughter I mentioned and a kind of quiet awe.
Dude, I have an agent. (Warning: I'll be saying that a lot, mostly to keep reminding myself it's true.)
If you didn't know, I've been querying for a while. I try not to think about how long it's been. Funnily enough, I sent my very first query to Nathan at the end of October 2007. Yup, I got rejected the next day and it was well deserved. I was nowhere near ready, and poor First Book was quickly abandoned. At least I realized that I had much work to do.
So I wrote another book. And another. I queried both of those projects too (both of which Nathan also rejected, hehe. [Also completely deserved]). I also wrote a lot more books while querying that never made it to agent inboxes. Do I have to say the number? Okay, okay—Relax, I'm a Ninja was my 8th novel.
Yeah, my 8th novel. I'm definitely persistent.
It was just a baby of an idea when I decided to write the first paragraph for Nathan's contest. I didn't expect anyone to take interest—it was just a fun idea about a nerd boy who was actually a ninja in hiding. But, well, I won! And that was awesome mostly because I could get a real critique from a real agent. I never dreamed that he would become my agent.
Seriously, I needed a critique. I knew there was something wrong with my writing. I was trying desperately to fix it, but I just couldn't see it. I'd had several agents tell me my prose was messy, which was kind of helpful, but I didn't know what, exactly, made it messy.
So like a total dork I sent my 2nd draft material to Nathan for my partial critique. I figured I could use his advice to revise the whole manuscript—I didn't expect him to request the full instead. And stupid me sent it, knowing I really needed to revise. (Note: Don't be stupid like me. Luck isn't always there for you.) Let's just say I finally got my critique; it was brilliant; and I was very, very lucky he offered to take a look after I'd properly revised.
To make a long story short(er). I did a lot of revising—months worth. And it was the BEST experience ever. I am extremely grateful for how much I've learned through these revisions. I've learned how to truly craft a book, how hard I can actually push myself, and that good things come to those who don't ever give up.
Perhaps that's why I'm not filling this post with screams and silly pictures, as tempting as it may be. The celebration and joy goes so deep down to my soul I want to express it, uh, more maturely right now.
I did it. Oh my goodness, I have an agent! It was so much work—more than I ever imagined—but I made my dream come true. And it was completely worth it! I'm so grateful that Nathan took a chance on me, that he saw something there in all that mess of my writing. It is quite fitting that the first agent I queried would ultimately be the last one I queried. It's like a life chiasmus.
I can't wait for all the work following this step. I'm sure it won't be anything like I imagine, but great and life-changing all the same. Bring it on.
Oh, fine, one more time: I have an agent! (*Squee*)
I mean, that's what you're supposed to do when you finally get an agent, right? Wait, I didn't mention that yet? Oh, yeah—maybe I should tell you. I have an agent now! And his name is Nathan Bransford.
(I'll give you a second to reread that, because I'm sure you're in just as much shock as I am. No—for reals—you are totally reading that right.)
So, um, Nathan's my agent! Me. Like, the girl who writes about ninjas and wizards and cyborgs (Not at the same time! Though that would be cool...). I'm currently going between that squealing giddy laughter I mentioned and a kind of quiet awe.
Dude, I have an agent. (Warning: I'll be saying that a lot, mostly to keep reminding myself it's true.)
If you didn't know, I've been querying for a while. I try not to think about how long it's been. Funnily enough, I sent my very first query to Nathan at the end of October 2007. Yup, I got rejected the next day and it was well deserved. I was nowhere near ready, and poor First Book was quickly abandoned. At least I realized that I had much work to do.
So I wrote another book. And another. I queried both of those projects too (both of which Nathan also rejected, hehe. [Also completely deserved]). I also wrote a lot more books while querying that never made it to agent inboxes. Do I have to say the number? Okay, okay—Relax, I'm a Ninja was my 8th novel.
Yeah, my 8th novel. I'm definitely persistent.
It was just a baby of an idea when I decided to write the first paragraph for Nathan's contest. I didn't expect anyone to take interest—it was just a fun idea about a nerd boy who was actually a ninja in hiding. But, well, I won! And that was awesome mostly because I could get a real critique from a real agent. I never dreamed that he would become my agent.
Seriously, I needed a critique. I knew there was something wrong with my writing. I was trying desperately to fix it, but I just couldn't see it. I'd had several agents tell me my prose was messy, which was kind of helpful, but I didn't know what, exactly, made it messy.
So like a total dork I sent my 2nd draft material to Nathan for my partial critique. I figured I could use his advice to revise the whole manuscript—I didn't expect him to request the full instead. And stupid me sent it, knowing I really needed to revise. (Note: Don't be stupid like me. Luck isn't always there for you.) Let's just say I finally got my critique; it was brilliant; and I was very, very lucky he offered to take a look after I'd properly revised.
To make a long story short(er). I did a lot of revising—months worth. And it was the BEST experience ever. I am extremely grateful for how much I've learned through these revisions. I've learned how to truly craft a book, how hard I can actually push myself, and that good things come to those who don't ever give up.
Perhaps that's why I'm not filling this post with screams and silly pictures, as tempting as it may be. The celebration and joy goes so deep down to my soul I want to express it, uh, more maturely right now.
I did it. Oh my goodness, I have an agent! It was so much work—more than I ever imagined—but I made my dream come true. And it was completely worth it! I'm so grateful that Nathan took a chance on me, that he saw something there in all that mess of my writing. It is quite fitting that the first agent I queried would ultimately be the last one I queried. It's like a life chiasmus.
I can't wait for all the work following this step. I'm sure it won't be anything like I imagine, but great and life-changing all the same. Bring it on.
Oh, fine, one more time: I have an agent! (*Squee*)
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